I NO LONGER HATE SOCCER

After watching a couple of the World Cup games featuring te Women's U.S. Soccer team, I can honestly say I have respect for soccer and it's players. I'll admit that I didn't know much about the game before their match against Brazil a couple weeks ago. However, soccer is actually not as bad as I once thought and was actually pretty exciting to watch. I've always bashed soccer, saying the game is all about kicking a ball around an oversized field and that a 1-0 lead is insurmountable. This is all untrue and I apologize to all those who are fans of this game.

I have total respect for anybody that plays soccer, especially on this level. While watching the quarterfinal matchup against Brazil, I couldn't believe that only three substitutions were allowed per team. I couldn't last five minutes running up and down that field. The game is way more intense than I ever imagined, with slide tackling and all the other contact that is involved. The game also has suspense that I didn't beleive was possible. Take the first half of the World Cup Final for example. The American women had so many chances to score, and failed to do so. The opportunites were there, including one off the crossbar and others that barely missed. If one or two of those goals finds the back of the net, we are talking about a different result.

Only days after this exciting match, I find myself watching television and stopping on channels that are airing soccer. This World Cup final has convinced me that I should be a fan of the most popular sport on the planet. Soccer has entered the world of Shawn Marosek. I'm sure the recent events in Germany have done the same for others across this country.

-Shawn M.

TIGER: IS HE FINISHED?

Like it or not, the new wave of golf stars have broken out in a big way. Louis Oosthuizen, Martin Kaymer, and Charl Schwartzel have all won major championships while Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson and Matt Kuchar have all come close. Clearly the most impressive of this group is Rory McIlroy, who has stamped himself as the best player in the world with his dominating U.S. Open championship at Congressional this weekend. His brilliance hasn’t been seen since, well, Tiger Woods at the 2000 U.S. Open.

With this new wave of exceptional, young golfers here to stay, where exactly does that leave Tiger Woods? Tiger hasn’t won a major since the 2008 U.S. Open, and hasn’t won a tour event since he returned from his whole saga at the 2010 Masters. Putting the personal issues aside, Tiger’s health is a big concern. He has been forced to miss three majors due to different surgeries since the victory at Torrey Pines in ’08. With problems like this at age 35, what condition will he be in at age 40 and then 45? The next ten years will be where he either breaks Jack Nicklaus’s record or continues his fade into the sunset.

Most of the media seems to be counting him out. Almost all say he won’t catch Jack now and several people are saying he’ll never win another major. This is mainly the same group of people that said he would win the Grand Slam in 2009 and tie Jack’s record that year! I’ve personally never bought into the extreme opinions of the media. I believe most people just write stuff with such extreme opinions to deliver a “wow” factor just so that more people will read and comment on their stuff. I find it hard to believe most of these writers actually believe their words to the fullest extent. Not many people are going to be that intrigued by an article or newscast that says, "well Tiger could still break it, but it is going to be much tougher now”.

I really do find it silly that anyone at this current moment can dismiss him from ever winning another major championship. The man won a major on a broken leg at Torrey Pines, and despite all the personal/physical issues over the last year and change, he has finished in the top five at three out of the five majors he’s competed in since his return last April. Unless his legs are that far gone, I find it very hard to believe he’ll never win another major. Love him or hate him, no one can dispute the heart he plays with at these major championships. No one can dispute how mentally strong he is either. He willed himself to that win at Torrey Pines as well into the top five at those recent majors. Imagine where he’ll be when his game starts to come around which it appeared to do at times at the Masters in April. I throw out those events where he totally bombed like the Bridgestone Invitational last year. Obviously his game wasn’t there, but clearly his heart wasn’t in it either. Outside of the 2006 U.S. Open which was weeks after the death of his father, Tiger's heart has always been in it for these majors.

Barring we find out that he won't ever be able to play on his legs again, I will guarantee that Tiger will win another major championship. I base that on partly on his performance at Torrey Pines and his ability to stay in contention at majors since. However, I also base that on the fact several of golf’s greatest players have had a ton of success after the age of 35. Jack won six of his 18 majors, Ben Hogan won eight of his nine, Sam Snead won five of his seven, and more recently Phil Mickelson has won three of his four majors after their 35th birthdays. Even Tom Watson, who never won a major after the age of 35, was a putt away on the 72nd green from winning the 2009 British Open at the ripe old age of 59. I think Tiger will have long put the clubs away for good when he's 59, but there is no reason he cannot compete until he's 45,50.

Whether I believe he’ll ultimately break Jack’s record is a different story. With the wave of young talent taking over, it is going to be very difficult for Tiger to win five more major championships on reconstructed legs while these younger guys are pretty much playing with a full deck. They quite frankly are probably more physically talented right now. However, I’ve seen this man win on a broken leg where every swing was so painful, so while I acknowledge (not a bold statement) it will be much more difficult than it appeared it was going to be a few years ago, I don’t believe his quest for the all-time major championship record is over. No game is more fickle than golf. One week you can be on top of the world, the next you can be at the bottom. Let’s see where Tiger is when this extreme point in his career levels out. I would like to see what happens when he finally wins a PGA event even if it isn’t a major championship. To call him finished at this point is way too premature.

Patrick Morgan

TEBOW'S NEW HAIRCUT- I LOVE IT

It works that whole Friar Tuck thing, which essentially goes with that prior Super Bowl commercial he "starred" in.

I hope your team at least doesn't make you look like an ass out on the field (or do I?).

AS USUAL, THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS ARE D*CKHEADS

No surprise what I'm going to be ranting about in this opinion piece.

Apparently the entire staff and team that resides in New England don't have the time for kids. And not just any kids. The kids that signed up to participate in the Fuel Up to Play 60 program.

Now, if these poor elementary school kids in Connecticut weren't actually expecting anyone on the team to show up, then I can see how they would be disappointed, but it wouldn't be the fault of the Patriots. Well, apparently the team was actually supposed to show up and play football, or run around with these kids. I mean you see the commercials with the various players, looking ecstatic to be with kids. Apparently the Patriots hate them. Because no one but an intern showed up. So instead of playing with Patriot's players, the intern brought some exercise videos.

"I was willing to give the Patriots the benefit of the doubt and believe that there was an honest mistake here ... until I read that they gave the kid a Fred Taylor jersey. Fred Taylor? Fred Taylor and his 269 yards last year? That's really the best you can do for the kid? What, was Zoltan Mesko(notes) too busy to sign a jersey?"

Listen, you may not be the reigning NFL football team in the world at the moment (Go Saints!), but that doesn't mean you can be dueschbags, especially to children who look up to you and idolize some of you.

Jaclyn Kahn

P.S. I see the update on the article, but I don't buy it. The Patriots have that "we're better than you and can get away with anything" air about them, so I still say it's their fault.

THE NEW YORK JETS OFFSEASON REPORT

Year one of the Rex Ryan/Mark Sanchez era was a roller coaster ride for sure. The New York Jets had many ups and downs, but it ended pretty well with a trip to Indianapolis for the AFC Championship. Yes, they were slaughtered by some guy named Peyton in the 2nd half, but there were many positives to take from the deep playoff run. The Jets have had a pretty active offseason to say the least. They have added a ton of big names, said goodbye to a couple old friends, and took a few key pieces in the draft. Let me try and go through it all for you all.

First let me tackle the pre-draft moves. The first trade was a third rounder to San Diego for Antonio Cromartie. Despite a drop off in performance and effort from this former all-pro, I think he will be very good playing opposite Revis Island. He is young and should be inspired to perform especially since is in a new environment and will constantly have to hear about how good Darrelle Revis is. You think he might have something to prove? I think this will be a great fit for the Jets, and improves that side of the secondary big time.

The next move was merely to add a big name to the roster. LaDainian Tomlinson is a future first-ballot hall of famer for sure, but his hey day is long gone. He has been a well below average back the last couple years. The Chargers had shifted from being his team to Philip Rivers's team a long time ago. I don't like this move for the Jets. They should have coughed up an extra $2 million to keep Thomas Jones on the roster. I know Jones slowed down at the end of the season, but he rushed for almost 700 yards more than Tomlinson last year. Shonn Greene better be really good because it is hard to see Tomlinson being very useful. Maybe he'll have a few 1-yard touchdown runs, but that will be about it.

The Jets then added troubled receiver Santonio Holmes from Pittsburgh for a fifth round pick. This was a fabulous move. Granted Holmes will miss the first four games due to a drug suspension, but he is a former Super Bowl MVP that will play opposite Braylon Edwards. This will give Sanchez another weapon in difficult situations and should help him a lot. I believe the move will also enhance the value of Jerricho Cotchery. Cotchery showed a drastic loss of speed last year, so moving him to the slot can make him a great possession receiver. Dustin Keller improved as the season went on too, so Sanchez should have no shortage of toys to play with.

Then recently the Jets added former Dolphin, Jason Taylor. Personally I think the guy is a phony for signing with the Jets. No one hated the Jets as much as Taylor during his 10+ years with the Dolphins. I was shocked to say the least. From a football standpoint, he should add something to their pass rush. He is getting up there in age though, so it's possible he just falls off the map. I believe he has more tread left on the tires than Tomlinson, however. Even if he has a great season, I will continue to laugh at him for cameras catching him saying the game was over on that famous Monday night when the Jets came back from 30-7 down against the Dolphins in 2000.

Now to the 2010 NFL Draft. The Jets apparently got a steal in Kyle Wilson at #29. The Boise State cornerback will immediately be the starting nickel corner. With Cromartie and Wilson on that side of the field, the Jets shouldn't be torched like they were by the Colts in the AFC Championship. However, the Jets then made a puzzling move in my opinion. I don't mind that they drafted Vladimir Ducasse in the 2nd round, but I don't get why they would release pro-bowler Alan Faneca as a result. I know he was due a big payday, but it was only $2 million more to keep him on the roster opposed to what his release cost. Ducasse better be good, because otherwise the loss of Faneca is a big hit to the offensive line and the running game.

The other big news from the draft was the trade of Leon Washington to the Seahawks. The Jets took a similar, younger player in Joe McKnight in the 4th round. Once they took him it opened the door for a Washington trade. Even though I have loved Leon as a Jet, the move makes sense. Washington is coming off a severely broken leg that may really hamper what made him such a dynamic player. I wish him well, but from what I've heard about McKnight, he can possibly step right in and be the next Leon Washington anyway. Plus he's younger and not coming off a major injury. Here is where I really trust Mike Tannenbaum's talent accessing abilities. He is a fabulous GM and done great work in these drafts. I also liked the addition of fullback John Conner in the fifth round. Tony Richardson is getting old and who better to learn from for Conner.

So overall I think the Jets have improved their secondary and their receiving core big time. They should be tough to pass on and Sanchez should be much better in year two and build on his impressive postseason. The running game takes a big hit replacing Jones with Tomlinson and then cutting Alan Faneca. There will be a lot of pressure on Shonn Greene to become a big time back next year. I have no confidence in Tomlinson, so the Jets have to hope Greene takes the next step and that Joe McKnight makes an immediate impact. The Jets are clearly going for it and anything short of a Super Bowl appearance next year will be a disappointment.

Pat Morgan

NCAA COMES TO THEIR SENSES, WILL ONLY EXPAND TO 68

From everything we were hearing all Winter long it seemed as if it was inevitable that the NCAA was going to expand the greatest event of the sports year to a grotesque 96 teams. Every coach in America (except for UConn's Jim Calhoun) was for this 50% expansion of the NCAA Tournament. More importantly to the NCAA, expansion to 96 seemed like the only way to earn a big, new contract from either CBS or ESPN. For all intensive purposes it was basically all but a done deal.

In fact, I have already gone through the five steps of grief over this issue. First, I denied that the NCAA would ever expand by such a drastic amount. Second, I was angry at the fact the NCAA would ruin their best event just for money. Third, I bargained with myself that maybe the NCAA would settle at 72, 76 or even 80 teams. Fourth, I was depressed looking at my blank 2010 bracket thinking it would be the last time they'd play with 65 teams. Finally, I accepted the fact that they were going to 96 teams when the NCAA announced that would be the best way to expand at the Final Four.

Everyone in the sports world figured when, not if, this move to 96 would become official, but much to most of our delights we awoke to the news of a slight expansion to 68 teams. I have to say I let out a big "YES!" when I opened the link on CNNSI.com. Then, I was like well maybe they have the wrong number. I had to check two or three different sites to make sure it was correct. Phew! It's only 68. The integrity of the tournament stays intact and the regular season still means a little something.

Here's my thinking on why ultimately the NCAA stayed clear of expanding to 96. When I looked at what a 96-team field schedule would look like, I wondered to myself how they were going to pull off the second week. The first weekend would have happened as usual, but the second would have required teams to play three games in five days to get to the Final Four. And that included traveling after the first game! There's no way to can pull a student-athlete out of class for a week, then ask them to play Tues-Thurs-Sat (or Wed-Fri-Sun) in two different cities. Couple that with the first weekend, teams without byes would have had to play 5 games in 9 days. How does a fan follow all of that? It would have been absurd.

Another reason why I think they stayed clear of 96 is much more simple. I think they actually listened to the world. No one I heard was for expansion other than some coaches who wanted more job security. See coaches were thinking by having it easier to make the tournament, they would be more prone to keep their jobs because they'd have more tournament appearances. They tried to say their players deserved the opportunity to play in the tournament, but that was complete crap. They were thinking of themselves and nothing more. Even coaches with no chance of losing their jobs wanted big expansion to make their careers look better. Jim Boeheim from Syracuse consistently has teams on the fringe. Don't you think he knows those NIT appearances don't look good on his all-time resume? What a joke!

Anyway, it was a great relief to see the NCAA stop at 68. I'm sure that expansion will come up again at some point, but at least for the next hand full of years the tourney will stay as it should. I'm also thrilled ESPN didn't get the tournament. They have become utter garbage in how they cover the sports world. Props to CBS and Turner Sports for coming together and taking down the giant in ESPN and getting this deal done. Now please do something about that dreadful Jennifer Hudson version of One Shining Moment! Oh, and I wouldn't mind if newly signed Conan O'Brien did some color commentary for TBS's broadcasts.

Pat Morgan

Quality Over Quantity Could Be Recipe For Sharks

Here we are again. The Sharks are a top seed in the NHL playoffs and the scores do not show that whatsoever. Every game in their Western Conference Quarterfinals against the young and enthusiastic Colorado Avalanche have all been decided by one goal. The last three games have went to overtime, resulting in two Sharks wins and one by the Avalanche. The series is now tied 2-2, with pivotal game 5 scheduled for tonight at 10:30 p.m. at H.P. Pavillion.

The Sharks outshot their opponent 51-17 in Game 3 and had 40 plus shots in Game 4. Not to take anything away from Colorado goaltender Craig Anderson, but there were few shots that were even difficult to stop by NHL standards. From what I've seen, I feel as though San Jose just races down the ice and fires on net, hoping for a lucky bounce and something to go their way. I haven't seen a lot of screening the goalie or setting up decent shots. Yes, the Sharks are by far more talented than the Avalanche, but pure talent does not always result in victories.
Has anyone been paying any attention to the Sharks during recent years? Playoff disappointment after playoff disappointment, resulting in early round exits. I would rather have the Sharks put up 20 quality shots than fire 50 shots that have a very slight chance of going in. As a fan of San Jose, it's getting tiresome watching Anderson make save after save. He is a professional goalie. He will stop easy shots.

The Shark Tank is one of the loudest arenas in hockey, and it should be rocking tonight. There is still a lot of pressure on the Sharks to come through and win this game and series. They have three olympic gold medalists on the front line and neither of them have netted a goal so far. That has to change and it would be nice to see it happen tonight. I know that Anderson can stop a large quantity of mediocre shots. Can he consistently save quality shots from some of the best players in the league? I would like to find out.

Shawn Marosek